Spotting Scope Quality

sans911

I am looking to buy a spotting scope and would like to know which are the best and which are the worst in your opinions.

Knifecollector

Ones to avoid- Simmons,Tasco, Bushnell,BSA. Ones to buy- Nikon,Leupold,Swarovski. The cheap ones strain my eyes and give me a headache. The expensive ones are easy on the eyes and hard on the wallet.

beachmaster73

A lot depends on what you intend to do with the scope. If you are into competitive shooting(200-600yard competition and 1000 yard) you should really look at the scopes made specifically for it. The best is the 82mm objective lens Kowa with a 27X Extended Eye Relief eye piece and the 45 degree offset option. If you are just putzing around and experimenting I'd recommend one of the cheaper scopes in the $200 price range. Bushnell makes a couple of scopes that while not excessively expensive will fill the bill adequately. If you are contemplating going up and down the mountains of Afganistan sniping the odd Al-Quida warrior there really isn't anything better than the 24 X 80 Steiner spotting scope. It is nuclear bomb proof, can be dropped from a two story window with out breaking, and will never never leak moisture into the scope. It costs a bit more and is somewhat less convenient than the adjustable eye piece models and doesn't come with a 45 degree offset. But if you are in that line of business you can do with out some of the "whizbang' stuff. Seriously look at what you are going to be doing with the scope. Look at some of the scopes your friends use. Try them and see what your really need. If you can make it out to Camp Perry for the National Matches in July you can go on Commercial Row and take a look through about 500 different scopes from cheap to mega expensive! I'll guarantee you'll find one there. Beach

Rembrandt

I've had a Swarovski for years, great glass...have been able to see bullet holes in targets at 200 yards when everyone else at the range was packing it in.

He Dog

There is no better spotting scope made in the world than the Leica Televid APO spotting scope. If there is a more expensive one, I have not seen it. The Televid without APO glass is half the price and still beats the competition. Kowo is also well regarded. My personal take on Swarovski differs from its fans. I had an old Bushnell Sportview next to a Swarovski and the Bushnell had much better resolution and less fringing. I would not touch one. When you are about ready to buy, whatever you buy, take a look at www.bearbasin.com and www.eagleoptics.com for prices and service.

sans911

Thanks for the comments. I was looking at a Weaver 15-40x60 #849438. I am just getting into benchrest type shooting. I plan to shoot anywhere from 50ft to 200yds. Would the Weaver be a middle of the road scope in quality??

coyote-man

As word from a wise old man once told me a long time ago, go with best that you can't afford, then you will be happy. I was convinced on Kowa 823 with the zoom eye piece when I looked at the target that was shot with a .223 at 300 yards, could see every hole!This is not the best scope on market, but is very good for the price.I ordered thru ADORAMA camera store, paid $644 2 years ago, this was $155 cheaper than my local gun shop sold it for.In fact if you pick up a copy of Popular Photography and look at the ads in back of camera stores, you will find that there are some very good prices on optics. I also saved $375 on a pair of Lica binoculars by buying thru these camera stores instead of going thru the gun shop

He Dog

I would consider Weaver below the middle in quality. For the ranges you are looking at, even a good, inexpensive scope will probably do the job. The top of the line scopes without florite glass will run you in the $600-$800 range + the eye peice of your choice. The florite jobs, like my Leica are twice that. Middle range will run $300-$400 complete.

reb8600

My dad has a bushnell that he paid $115 for. I shot my 22-250 at 200 yards and was able to see the bullet holes. Maybe not as clear as the more expensive ones but it does the job.

beachmaster73

sans....the Weaver you describe is more than adequate for the shooting you are looking at getting into. While I'm not really a fan of zoom eyepieces(what with the extra lens inserted)that scope will be just fine. Even at 40 power which you'll end up not using very often the 60mm objective will give you more than enough light during the day to see any holes you need to see on your target. You will lose some clarity at dawn and dusk, but you can regain it by just powering back to around 20-25 power. You won't be able to pick out the sex of a crow at 800 yards but you'll see bullet marking discs just fine. The perfect scope for your type of shooting would be the Kowa 82mm and you might want to advance to it one day. Like He Dog said the Televid is an excellent scope and priced accordingly; though I found it a too delicate for my needs. If you have 20 guys standing around you are going to get 20 different opinions on scopes... that Weaver is just fine. Beach[This message has been edited by beachmaster73 (edited 03-18-2002).]

chuck

I just saw 3 winchester spotting scopes and ONE was great other 2 NOT, I have done the same thing with scopes, go through about 5 and you will find one a lot better than the others, what I'm trying to say is look through as many as you can and pick the best one.

sans911

Thanks everyone for your help. I think I know about what I should look for now for my purposes.